Game employing tiltable game board and movable ball and rings

ABSTRACT

A game of skill employs a flat game board surface into which one or more marbles and one or more posts are imbedded. A ball is rolled along the surface by tilting the board. One or more rings is provided with an inner diameter smaller than the ball but approximately the same size or slightly larger than the marble. The object of the game is to first place the ring onto the ball by moving the ball so as to drive the ring against a post and thereby flip the ring over onto the ball. The ring must then be flipped onto the marble by impacting the ball against the marble.

il'nite States atet [191 Mazuela GAME EMPLOYING TILTABLE GAME BOARD AND MOVABLE BALL AND RINGS [76] Inventor: Jose Luis Pemjean Mazuela, 5 Jalan Labat Daun, Singapore 28, Singapore [22] Filed: May 5, 1972 [21] Appi. No.: 250,787

[52] US. Cl.. 273/109, 273/128 A [51] Int. Cl A631 7/04, A631 7/16 [58] Field of Search 273/108, 109, 110,

273/118 R, 118 D, 123 R, 126 R, 128 R, 128 A, 116, 91, 85 F, 94 F, 87 E, 153 R, 153 S; 46/43 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 456,554 7/1891 Cole 273/91 v505,027 9/1893 Carpenter 273/117 608,918 8/ 1898 Scovell 273/10 669,511 3/1901 Dahis et a1 273/108 697,334 4/1902 Frisbee 273/117 Aug. 14, 1973 1,262,768 4/1918 Gagnon 273/117 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 5,184 3/1909 Great Britain 273/109 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello Attorney- Howard L. Rose and Ira C. Edell ABSTRACT A game of skill employs a flat game board surface into which one or more marbles and one or more posts are imbedded. A ball is rolled along the surface by tilting the board. One or more rings is provided with an inner diameter smaller than the ball but approximately the same size or slightly larger than the marble. The object of the game is to first place the ring onto the ball by moving the ball so as to drive the ring against a post and thereby flip the ring over onto the ball. The ring must then be flipped onto the marble by impacting the ball against the marble.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Fignres i GAME EMPLOYING TILTABLE GAME BOARD AND MOVABLE BALL AND RINGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to games of the type wherein a game board is tilted to achieve desired objectives.

Most games of the type in which one or more balls are moved along a game board by tilting the board involve more chance than skill. Such games usually require the player to roll the ball into a recess in the board, or to move a plurality of balls into such recesses according to some specified pattern. The degree of skill involved in such games is minimal and the games soon lose their challenge and appeal.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game of the type described which involves a definite degree of skill and which continues to be a challenge to the player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention a plurality of marbles and posts are imbedded in a flat game board surface. A ball is rolled along the surface by tilting the game board. A plurality of rings, having inside diameters smaller than the ball diameter but about the same as the marble diameters, are disposed on the game board surface. The object of the game is to place the rings about respective marbles in a two step procedure: first the ball is rolled so as to drive the ring against a post such that the ring flips up onto the ball; then the ball is impacted against a marble to cause the ring to flip over from the ball onto the marble.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects, features and ad vantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view in plan of a game board according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view in section along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the game board of FIG. 1 illustrating how a ring is transferred onto a ball in the game of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the game board of FIG. 1 illustrating how a ring is transferred from a ball to a marble in the game of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a flat circular game board has an annular rim 11 extending upwardly from playing surface 12. The game board is preferably made from plastic or the like, however the material is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention. The rim 11 and board 10 may be formed as an integral unit or as a two-piece assembly. Six spaced recesses 13 are defined in playing surface 12 and are adapted to receive cylindrical projections 14 from six truncated marbles 15, respectively. Projections 14 extend downwardly from the truncated surface of the marbles and are secured in recesses 13 by means of adhesive or the like. The marbles 15 are spaced such that one marble is at the center of playing surface 12 and the others are disposed equidistant from the center marble at equal angular intervals. Three posts 16 are secured to and extend upwardly from playing surface 12. Each post 16 has a tapered, generally cylindrical configuration with a sharp inward taper at its base and gentle inward taper along the major portion of its length toward its top. As illustrated posts 16 are located radially outward of the five outer marbles l5 and are spaced at equal angular positions. Posts 16 and marbles 15 are preferably made from plastic. The material, number and spacing of these elements, however, are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

Playing surface 12 is covered by a transparent plastic cover plate 17 secured to the top edge of rim 1]. A steel ball 18 and six plastic rings 19 are captured in the space bounded by playing surface 12, rim l1 and cover plate 17. The ball 18 and rings 19 are free to move within this enclosed space as game board 10 is tilted or otherwise moved.

The outside diameter of steel ball 18 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of marbles 15. The inside diameter of rings 19 is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the ball 18 and approximately the same size or slightly larger than the outside diameter of marbles 15. The height of posts 16 must be such that when a ring 18 is caused to stand on end while leaning against the post, the ring cannot fall in a position wherein it encircles the post. More particularly, the height of posts 18 must be greater than the sum of the inside diameter plus the thickness of ring 18.

The object of the game is to place all of the rings 18 about respective marbles 15. This ring placement is accomplished in a two step process, the first step requiring the ring to be placed on the ball 18 and the second step requiring the ring to be transferred from the ball to a marble. Placing a ring 19 on ball 18 is accomplished in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. Specifically, ring 19 is pushed along the playing surface 12 by the ball 18. The ball is moved by tilting the game board 10 as necessary to permit the ball to roll in the desired direction. The player thus tilts the game board so that ring 19 is pushed by ball 18 against post 16. When the edge of the ring is forced against the base of the post, that edge tends to ride up the post. If sufficient force is exerted by the ball, the ring is driven past an upright position and flips onto the ball.

Once the ring 19 is flipped onto the ball, game board 10 is tilted to cause the ball to impact against a marble 15, as illustrated in FIG. 4. If impact is at the proper angle (i.e. head-on), the ring, which is first to strike the marble, is flipped up off the ball and onto the marble. If impact between the ball and marble is not at the proper angle the ring will fall off the ball and the player must once again utilize post 16 to place the ring on the ball.

Various scoring rules may be devised for the game as described. A typical set of scoring rules is as follows:

1. Each ring over a marble scores points.

2. Fall of a ring from the ball caused by physically touching a marble 15, post 16, rim 11 or another ring yields a penalty of 50 points. When this condition occurs one ring is considered out of play. The player is free of penalty if a ring falls before touching a marble, post or rim.

3. A ring placed over a marble which already has a ring yields a penalty of-lSO points.

4. A ring placed over a post yields a penalty of 100 points.

A typical set of dimensions for the components would be as follows:

Steel Ball 18, outside diameter "V4" Marble [5, outside diameter 1 1/16 Ring19, inside diameter 11/! 6'' Ring 19, outside diameter Rim ll, inside diameter 9 W.

so that the ring 19 may be flipped onto the fixed object from the steel ball when the latter is properly impacted against the fixed object. The object of the game would still be to place the rings about these fixed members by using the ball as an intermediary. Likewise the crosssection of posts 16 need not be circular, as described, but may be triangular, rectangular, elliptical, etc., as long as one or more tapered surfaces are provided against which ring 19 may be driven and flipped over onto ball 18.

While I have described and illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be clear that variations of the details of construction which are specifically illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game structure comprising:

a tiltable game board having a fiat surface;

a spherical member positioned to roll on said flat surface when said game board is tilted, said spherical member having a predetermined diameter;

at least one annular member having an inside diameter slightly smaller than said predetermined diameter;

a first fixed member secured to and extending a distance from said flat surface in excess of said predetermined diameter and having at least one surface which tapers upwardly to converge toward another surface of said first fixed member;

a second fixed member secured to and extending a distance from said flat surface which is smaller than said predetermined diameter, said second fixed member having a cross-section having a maximum dimension smaller than the inside diameter of said annular member;

whereby said annular member may be driven against said first fixed member by said spherical member when said game board is tilted so as to flip said annular member onto and about said ball, and whereby said ring may be flipped onto said second fixed member from said ball when said game board is tilted to cause said ball to impact said second fixed member at a predetermined angle.

2. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said first fixed member is a post secured at its base to said flat surface and having a cylindrical configuration exhibiting an upwardly convergent taper.

3. The game structure according to claim 2 wherein said second fixed member is generally spherical with a diameter smaller than the diameter of said annular member.

4. The game structure according to claim 3 further comprising a plurality of said second fixed members located in spaced positions on said flat surface, and a like plurality of said annular members free to move along said flat surface.

said flat surface.

* l il 

1. A game structure comprising: a tiltable game board having a flat surface; a spherical member positioned to roll on said flat surface when said game board is tilted, said spherical member having a predetermined diameter; at least one annular member having an inside diameter slightly smaller than said predetermined diameter; a first fixed member secured to and extending a distance from said flat surface in excess of said predetermined diameter and having at least one surface which tapers upwardly to converge toward another surface of said first fixed member; a second fixed member secured to and extending a distance from said flat surface which is smaller than said predetermined diameter, said second fixed member having a cross-section having a maximum dimension smaller than the inside diameter of said annular member; whereby said annular member may be driven against said first fixed member by said spherical member when said game board is tilted so as to flip said annular member onto and about said ball, and whereby said ring may be flipped onto said second fixed member from said ball when said game board is tilted to cause said ball to impact said second fixed member at a predetermined angle.
 2. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said first fixed member is a post secured at its base to said flat surface and having a cylindrical configuration exhibiting an upwardly convergent taper.
 3. The game structure according to claim 2 wherein said second fixed member is generally spherical with a diameter smaller than the diameter of said annular member.
 4. The game structure according to claim 3 further comprising a plurality of said second fixed members located in spaced positions on said flat surface, and a like plurality of said annular members free to move along said flat surface.
 5. The game structure according to claim 1 wherein said second fixed member is generally spherical with a diameter smaller than the diameter of said annular member.
 6. The game structure according to claim 5 further comprising a plurality of said second fixed members located in spaced positions on said flat surface, and a like plurality of said annular members free to move along said flat surface. 